Least you deserve
by serenitybritt
Summary: Hermione has developed feelings for Snape, takes place before and during seventh year
1. Chapter 1

This story takes place just after sixth year. Snape never switched to Defense Against the Dark Arts, instead Lupin returned. Snape never killed Dumbledore and Voldemort is still at large. There was no oath and Draco never snuck in Death Eaters. Snape also found a way to stop the curse from slowly killing Dumbledore.

I do not own Harry Potter sadly.

Hermione Granger stood in front of her parents home. It was the summer before her seventh and last year at Hogwarts, she had spent the last six weeks here in her childhood home.

"Hermione!" David Winters yelled as he ran up to her. She groaned then put on a fake smile and turned to him. "Hi David" she said. David lived next door and had been her only friend before Hogwarts, (she always got along better with boys than girls) he was devistated when she left and the last few summers had followed her around like a puppy. Hermione knew he had a crush on her but she did not think of him that way, he was cute, six feet tall with dirty blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes.

The reason she did not like him had nothing to do with the seventeen year old boys looks, the problem was just that he is a boy. Hermione knew now what she wanted after spending the previous year sad about her feelings for Ronald.

She wants an intelligent man now. Someone she could have passionate debates with and make passionate love with. "So do you want to go to town today? We could..." David started babbling but Hermione didn't hear the rest as she saw two of her professors walking up her street in muggle clothing.

Professor McGonagall looked like her grandmother with her sweater and long skirt. Professor Snape however looked amazing to her. His long black hair was tied back and out of view, he had on a black button up shirt and black slacks. The only color was the slytherin green tie around his neck. "and then grab some ice cream and I'll have you back by eleven." David finished but she was too busy staring at her professors.

"Hermione?" he asked as he shook her. "What?" she asked dased. "Did you want to go to town with me?" he shortened his response. "Oh. Sorry no. Im probably going to be busy" she said as her professors aproached. "With what?" he asked not noticing the people behind him.

"With us" Severus' silky voice said. David spun around and stared at the two people reached the teens. "Who are you?" he glared, angry that he was losing the day with the girl he thought he was in love with.

"Who we are is none of your buisness, young man" Snape glared right back. "I'll talk to you later, David" Hermione said dismissing him. "Okay. Call you later, love" he said as he kissed her cheek and walked home.

Hermione rolled her eyes, he had never kissed her cheek before or called her love. He wasn't that bold, she wondered what made him do that. "Now that your beau has left perhaps we can talk somewhere more private" Severus sneered.

"He's not my boyfriend" Hermione said, desperately wanting him to know that she wasn't seeing anyone. She knew it was ridiculous, she knew he would not care, yet she thought that she didnt want to kill any tiny chance he had at seeing her in a different way. Like how she saw him.

Shortly after Ron had started dating Lavender, he was driven virtually mad by her clinginess. Hermione knew she did not want that and Snape was in no way the type to be clingy in a relationship.

At first Ron was annoyed by Lavender till he grew to realize that he loved that Lavender doted on him much like his mother. Ron wants a future house full of children and love. Lavender wants the same thing. They were really the perfect match.

Hermione could barely even remember what she saw in Ronald. Before and at the beginning of his and Lavenders relationship, she fancied herself in love with him. He was brave, strong and a great friend. She thought that great friendship was exactly what she needed in a relationship.

The only reason she set her sights on Ron instead of Harry was because she knew Harry had eyes for Ginny, she thought that Ronald had eyes for her because of how he acted when she had been "involved" with Viktor. He had seemed jealous, maybe she was wrong though.

Hermione had been convinced that Ronald was the one for her. She had been moody, angry and sad at losing something she never had. That was until Ronald had gotten sick of her avoiding him and they had gotten into a fight.

He claimed she didn't care about him anymore and she denied it. Ron had pressed, she ended up screaming that she did care, she was in love with him in front of most of the school. Her eyes had widened and filled with tears, she spun around and fled to the one place nobody would think to look, the dungeons.

It was a Sunday which meant no classes. She ran to the potions classroom and knew that professor Snape would yell at her but that was better than facing anyone else. She tore through the hallway and just as she was about to reach the class she ran into a wall but as she almost hit the floor something caught her fall.

She looked up into the dark eyes of her professor. That day she saw a glimpse of a completely different personality within him. That day she began feeling completely different about the man who had embarassed her so many times.

**PLEASE review. I absolutely love feedback. Hope for five reviews before next update and I know I abandoned my first two stories but I was diagnosed with leukemia since then and now that I dont work, I have a lot of time on my hands to write. So thanks for reading and REVIEW ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

"Miss Granger? If we could go inside please?" McGonagall said to Hermione. This pulled Hermione out of her flashback, "oh, sorry. Of course" Hermione said as she led them inside.

"Would either of you like some tea?" she asked her professors. "No thank you, dear. "Where are your parents?" McGonagall asked her. "They're at work" Hermione said wondering why they would want to know. "It'd be best if you got them to come home, what we need to discuss needs to be with them also" her transfiguration professor informed her. "Okay, I'll just call, be right back" Hermione said as she walked into the kitchen to grab the phone.

She dialed her parent's dental office and told them to get home as soon as possible. They told her it would take about ten minutes. Hermione sighed and looked over at her professors; Snape looked really good in muggle clothing. His teaching robe covered up what appeared to be an amazing body. Hermione could see the muscles through the shirt he wore.

She thought back to when she had felt those muscles holding her. "Miss Granger? I know that you are smart enough to see the wall there" Snape said as he helped her up. "Sorry sir, I was distraught" Hermione replied. Severus looked at her puffy eyes and said, "Yes, I can see that." Hermione sighed and wiped the last remaining tears from her eyes.

"Can I hide out in your classroom, sir?" she said, praying he would say yes but knowing he would not. "Whatever for Miss Granger? Just go back to your dorm" he replied. Just after he said that, he saw two fourth year slytherins come down the hall.

They looked at Hermione and bust up laughing, not noticing their head of house in the shadows. "So even poor muggle loving purebloods don't want you, mudblood" one of the boys said. Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes again but would not let these kids hurt her.

She was going to yell at them but a calm silky voice beat her to it. "Mr. Norse, thirty points from slytherin for disrespecting a superior. Miss Granger is a prefect and you ought to not use that word again" Snape sneered. The boys nodded and practically ran away before they got detention.

"I suppose Miss Granger, if you do not want to face anyone just yet I could use an extra pair of hands" he told her. Hermione smiled, "yes thank you sir" she said. Snape opened his classroom door then waited for her to go inside; after he walked through himself he warded the door.

"What do you need help with?" Hermione asked. "Well you cannot tell anyone even Potter and Weasley, but I am trying to brew a better version of wolfsbane. Something Lupin can take to avoid transforming at all" Snape said as he went to the cauldron he had been working at before he heard someone running around the halls.

"Wow that's amazing. I'd love to be of help" she gushed. They spent the rest of the afternoon trying and failing at the potion. When dinnertime hit, Snape turned to her. "Would you like to go to the Great Hall or I could have something brought here" he offered. "If its okay, I'd really like to eat here" Hermione smiled. "I wouldn't offer if it was not okay" he said.

"Missy!" he yelled, summoning the house elf. "Yes sirs, whats can I do for yous" Missy said. "Can I get two dinner plates here please; do you have any allergies or preferences, Miss Granger?" Snape asked. Hermione shook her head, surprised he was being so kind to the elf and her. "The special is fine, whatever it is, thank you Missy" He told the small elf. Missy smiled and disappeared.

"Thank you so much for letting me be here professor" Hermione smiled. "You were clearly upset and I am not completely heartless" he said. "Why have you been so kind tonight?" she could not help but ask. "Albus told me that you know of my role" Snape said. "You mean as a spy?" she said.

"Yes and since we are alone, I can be myself without worrying the dark lord will know I showed kindness to a Gryffindor, let alone a muggle-born one" Snape said. "So you mean it is all just an act?" Hermione wondered. "No, I really am cruel. Teaching children potions is very frustrating. They do not seem to understand how dangerous potions are. I do not think it is that difficult to follow simple instructions" he said. "Not everyone is as interested in learning as you and me" she laughed.

Just then, Missy returned with supper. Snape transfigured a quill into an extra chair for his desk and pulled it out for her. "There are gentlemen left" she smiled. "Well, I was raised right" he said then cringed thinking about his childhood.

"What were you so upset about?" he said. "Now that I think about it, it sounds silly. This morning I was so sure I was in love with Ron. I yelled that I loved him in front of most of the school at lunch" she blushed. Snape burst out laughing. Hermione had never seen him smile, let alone laugh. He looked very attractive to her when he stopped laughing and simply smiled.

Then she realized he was laughing at her so she got offended and glared at him. "I'm sorry; it is just that you could do better than Mr. Weasley. You are a very intelligent young woman. I believe you would need someone closer to your brain capacity" he explained. She sighed and decided to cut him a break; he had been so kind to her tonight.

"What did Potter tell you of my past, my Hogwarts years?" he asked. "Just that his father picked on you" Hermione said. "Yes, I was bullied in school. I was a skinny boy who always had his nose in a book. I was a lot like you, studious. When I was in school, I also fell for my childhood best friend. In my fifth year, we had an intimate relationship but she never told anyone and didn't let me tell either. At the time I thought nothing of it, now I know she was ashamed of me. She was everything to me. I had been embarrassed and she defended me, I lashed out at her. That was the day our relationship, our friendship ended. I tried to apologize, however she would not hear anything of it" he said.

"That's awful; I fight with Harry and Ron all the time. Sometimes we say hurtful things but we always forgive each other" she said. "Well this was very bad. She was like you muggle-born and I used the word those fourth years used on you" he admitted ashamed.

"Clearly you don't think that though, you won't even say it and you were friends with her for years. Sometimes people say things in the heat of the moment and you were embarrassed, if it had been me I would have forgiven you" she blushed. "You truly are remarkable then" he said.

They ate the rest of their food in silence. After dinner, they went back to work on the potion. When it was a half an hour before curfew, Snape turned to her. "You should get back to your dorm, however we have gotten closer in the last several hours then I have in several months. Would you like to come back to help me finish up?" he asked. "Yes of course. I can't wait to finish this, not only for professor Lupin but every werewolf out there" she beamed.

The front door opening brought her out of the past. She walked out of the kitchen and saw her professors still sitting on the couch. She greeted her parents and they all sat in the living room looking at her professors.

"There has been word that you-know-who is after you, Miss Granger. The order would like to place a member here for the duration of the summer to protect you" McGonagall said. "Okay, to protect Hermione we will take someone in. When do they arrive?" Hermione's father asked. "Mr. Granger, he is here. Severus is very capable of protecting you all and he was the only one without summer plans" McGonagall said.

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	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Harry Potter. Purely for fun. Enjoy!

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"This is the guest room" Hermione opened the bedroom door next to hers. "Thank you Miss Granger" Snape said as he stepped inside and set his bags down next to the bed.

"Can I ask you something?" Hermione wondered. "Of course" he said. "How do you know Voldemort is after me?" she asked. "I was instructed not to tell you. Minerva thinks you're too young, however I know you are stronger than she gives you credit for. As you know I am a spy. The Dark Lord summoned us and asked for a volunteer to kill your parents in front of you and bring you back to him. Bellatrix LeStrange jumped at the chance" he said sadly.

"Why? Why does he want me?" she asked dazed. "Because without you, Potter is surely dead. You are the brains behind the Golden Trio and he knows it. He hopes that your disappearance will leave Potter weak" he said. "Oh" she sighed.

"I won't let it happen Hermione, I am here to protect you" he declared. "Why are you? Here to protect me I mean?" Hermione said. "You know that you are one of the very few people I trust, that I consider a friend" he replied. She blushed. "Thank you, Severus" she said using his first name now that they were alone. He smiled.

"We should go back downstairs, my parents are probably about to explode" she said. They walked down the stairs and met her parents in the sitting room. "So the other professor said that you would be with us at all times this summer. How will that work? I mean we both work, Hermione is not going to want to be with her parents all day every day" Hermione's mother, Tracy said.

Tracy is a young mother. She had Hermione when she was just eighteen. She is currently only thirty five, she is five foot five and slim. She was quite attractive and has long blonde hair.

"The dark lord would go after her first. I will need to be with her at all times and you both would only be able to go to work without me. Your offices have been warded, no magical people would be able to enter without my knowing about it" Severus explained. "Okay well if that's all, we really need to get back to work. It is still morning and we would like to reopen the office" John, Hermione's father, said.

John is older than his wife by twenty one years, making him fifty six. Despite his age, he is still quite good looking, he had aged well.

"That's fine dad. I was going to go to the bookstore, so we may go to town for a while" Hermione said. "Okay dear, be careful dear" her mother said as she kissed her cheek. Hermione watched as her parents left and turned to Severus, "what do you want to do?" she asked.

"Whatever you would like is fine with me, as long as it's within reason" he said. She smirked. "Aw and I was gonna take you to my six year old cousins for a tea party" she teased. "Haha my dear" he said then his eyes went wide at what he said.

Hermione thought back to one of their meetings. It had been a few months since they started working on the lycanthropy cure. "Are things better in the dorm? I haven't heard anyone talking about you in months" Severus stated.

"Yeah, I wouldn't say they've forgotten but Ron finally found out about Harry and Ginny so they're all talking about the fight that they had in the common room. Add to that the fact that I haven't really been hanging out with them as much" she said. "If the project is keeping you, I completely understand if you came here less" he said sadly. They had gotten pretty close over the last few months. He had opened up more to her than anyone in years.

"No, I love coming here. I'm happier than I have been in years" she admitted with a blush. "Yes, potions usually brighten my mood too" he said. "No, not potions. I meant you. I mean I like spending time with you. When you are not scaring students, you are very good company" she said.

He smiled, "well I have not been happier either. It is nice to have someone who wants to spend time with me but not use me for your own agenda."

"You never talk about it. We talk about books, school, music even muggle movies and you never talk about the spying" she said. "I don't want to ruin it yet" he admitted. "You could not ruin it" she said with determination. "I don't want you to hate me for the things I've done" he said, ashamed. "I could never hate you" she whispered.

He looked at her and noticed that her eyes were watery and her hair had fallen into her eyes. He reached forward and brushed the hair out of her eyes as he looked into her eyes. For a second, she thought he was going to kiss her. The prospect excited her. Suddenly he pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned. "We should get back to work" he said stiffly.

After that night he was colder than he had been, he never let his guard down no matter how much she tried to bring him into conversation. However, he only would speak of potions and her schooling if she had a question.

The rest of the school year passed slowly for her. She was moody and snapping at people who didn't deserve it, especially Harry and Ron. They were conserned about her and trying to cheer her up.

One night they finally said something. They were sitting in the common room. Harry and Ron were playing wizard chess and she was studying transfiguration, well she was really obsessing over why Severus was being cold. "Hermione? Are you okay?" Harry asked. "I'm fine" she said.

"Are you sure? You've been staring at that page for twenty minutes" he said. "Well thank you for so closely observing me. Mind your own business" she snapped at him. "Whoa, I'm just worried about you. You haven't been yourself" he defended.

"Oh? I haven't been myself huh? Well you have no idea what I'm going through" she raised her voice. "Hermione, do you want to talk about it. You have been acting weird for a few weeks" Ron intergected. "Oh don't you start. You have barely said anything to me in months! I admit it was awkard what I said to you infront of the entire school but don't pretend that you care about me" she screamed.

"I'm sorry that I don't feel that way about you. I didn't mean to hurt you" he said calmly. "Oh don't flatter yourself, I got over you. I don't think I ever really liked you like that in the first place" she said. "Really? Why not?" he questioned. "Because how I felt about you is nothing compared to how I feel about…" she trailed off as she realized what she was going to admit.

"What? Who do you like?" Harry asked. "Not that it is any of your business but it doesn't matter. He will never want me, never see me in any other way than he does now which is at best a friend. Now I'm not even sure he sees me as that" she said as tears streamed down her cheeks. Harry held her as she cried.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Severus asked, bringing her back to reality. She nodded, "want to go to town?"

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	4. Chapter 4

She drove them in her mother's car to the used bookstore ten minutes away. She loved this store. When she bought muggle books, this was where she liked to go. They had been at the bookstore for over an hour, she was looking at the nonfiction section, there was a huge stack next to her filled with books selected by her and him.

"I am going to go back to the classics, stay within my sight" he said to her as he walked across the store. She smiled and started looking where she left off. Not even two minutes later, a group of three girls approached her. "Nerdy Granger, we saw you through the window, of course you would be here in a bookstore by yourself instead of with people" Alyson Cook, a girl that lived down the street from Hermione, said. Hermione ignored her.

"You know it's no wonder your parents sent you away to boarding school" she taunted Hermione. "They did not send me, I got accepted there and chose to go" she said. "Whatever. I just wanted to tell you to stay away from David; he is going to be my boyfriend soon" Alyson said.

"Does he know that? I don't think he will go out with you" Hermione told her. Alyson laughed. "What you think he wants you?" she laughed more. "No, I have no interest in him other than friendship" Hermione said. "Whatever" Alyson rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

Hermione sighed and went back to the book shelf. "Are you ready Miss Granger?" Severus asked after a few minutes. "Fine, let's go" she said. When they left the store, Hermione was silent as they walked to the car and she drove them back to her parent's house.

When they got inside, she turned on him. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" she screamed. "I've no idea what you mean, Miss Granger" Severus said, playing dumb. "That! You used to call me Hermione, we used to be friends, what happened?" she screamed.

"Nothing happened. It is completely inappropriate for me to use your given name or to be friends with you" he said. "Why? Why is it so wrong with being my friend? I thought you liked me" she whispered hurt. "Do not pretend you don't know what this is about. You know I consider you a friend, possibly the best friend I have ever had" he screamed at her.

"Then what did I do wrong?" she asked in a normal voice. "Nothing. You did nothing wrong, I did. I almost forced my attentions on you" he said as he looked down in shame. "Forced? Forced? Do you have any idea how much I wanted you to kiss me that day?" she said. "Really?" he asked as he stepped closer to her. She nodded as she grabbed his hand. She looked into his eyes, willing him to trust her and take a chance.

"We can't, you have another year of school. If once you graduate, we still feel that way, perhaps we can come back to the subject" he said. "Are you anticipating not feeling this way soon?" she asked. "No but you will" he said lowly and she knew he did not want her to respond by the look on his face. He let go of her hand and took a step back.

She supposed she would just have to hold on till graduation, and then she had a chance of getting what she wanted. _I should have known Severus Snape would never touch a student of his _she thought. "Okay, but can we at least be friends again? It will be a long and awkward summer if we are always walking on egg shells around each other?" she asked.

"Yes, I suppose that would be acceptable. Professors are allowed to be friends with their students. Albus had no problem when we worked together" he said. They had worked on the project together till the end of last year when they had to stop. Hermione thought they were close to the cure.

"Would you like some tea? I could make some sandwiches for lunch" she asked him. "That would be nice. I could help you" he said. She shook her head indicating that she did not want help. As they ate they chatted about their summer so far. She told him about the books she had been reading and he did the same.

"I'm telling you, they are together" Severus told her a few hours later. "No way, he is so old" she said. He laughed. "Even old men need love too, besides they have been together since before I was a student" he said. "How do you know?" she asked.

"My first year, I was called to his office because I was fighting with Sirius. He had gotten almost all of Gryffindor house to call me Snivillus. After a few days of being called that by them, I snapped and cursed Sirius. I do not remember what curse it was but I was called to the headmaster's office. As I was approaching his office, I heard voices and…" he said. "You, being you, had to spy" she cut him off with a smile and teasing tone. He laughed.

"Yes, I did. Anyway, it was Albus and Minerva. He had walked her to the door and leaned in and kissed her. Of course, once I got to his office he knew what I saw. He asked me not to tell anyone what I saw. That they did not want anyone to know. There are rules about a headmaster dating his staff, so they chose not to tell anyone in a way to not deal with it. Since that day I have told no one except you. Nobody on staff knows about them except me and Lupin, he is far too observant for his own good" he said chuckling.

"I like when you let your guard down and show me the real you. You really are great" she said to him with a bright smile. He smiled to and they went back to discussing the latest advances in potions.

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